While talking to a SCAdian coworker about flying up to Northern War...

Me: I wonder if you could get archery gear up in a plane.R: You can fly with your entire armour kit, but you wouldn't be able to bring up your pretty dresses. It's all t-tunics and trews.Me: I have tunics and trews! I have two tunics, *mutter*even though one of them is completely hand stitched....*mutter* But, but, but, I like pretty dresses!

Shit, I'm turning into an medieval snob. Medieval snobbery for the win! :DI prefer the term "very well dressed".

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Yay! I've come home early from work before Festival, but I'm still somewhat freaking out at the amount of stuff still to do.

I did make some silly hats while out on the rig in the past week, so I'm all accessorised up. Looking over the past few months I have completed a fair number of projects especially for Festival, so taking victories where I can is probably a good strategy.2 partlets (including one in silk!), 3 coifs, wool kirtle, wool cloak, full circle skirt, 3 late period linen shirts, 2 Axeman surcoats, doublet, roman dress, mid-period under dress.Whooo! I can make stuff! *falls off chair*

Brain is still being stupid and unrepressing things left, right and centre, but I'm concentrating on being as awesome as I can. Seems to be moderately successful as far as strategies go.

Anyway, see below for a bastardisation of medieval stew recipes that I've frankensteined together and that we're going to hopefully try for food fund. I hope it turns out ok >_<

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Ok, so I've been having a soprano crisis recently, in that I was wondering if maybe I'd just be a better alto than sop.de_chel helped me tonight with working out my range. Apparently I have about a 2.5 octaves up to a high B when I'm not really warmed up, but have struggled recently with some of the higher notes that I use to get comfortably when actually singing stuff in a group *woe*From what I've noticed, perhaps a lack of practice and adequate warming up?

It makes me sad when my voice breaks where I know it shouldn't. I *know* I can comfortably get a frickin E sharp normally.*pouty soprano diva face*

Maybe I should probably get proper lessons one of these days - that may fix this problem.

Current Mood: confused

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Epic shopping trip of epic today - I wandered up and down Sydney Road for a goodly while today, outfitting my pavillion (eee!) in time for Surveying next weekend.I'm very much looking forward to having a home away from home, instead of just an itty bitty nylon contraption with *just* enough room to sleep in.Today I garnered carpets, throw rugs, a small blue and gold tapestry, a mosquito net, scatter cushions and a wool mattress underlay for the bed. I'm still on the look out for a chest, and possibly a small table. Worst case scenario this year I may be taking up a collapsible an Ikea drawer system with a cotton cover over it.Anyway, the win of the day was this marvelous small wooden chest from Savers - it has twin lion heads on the outside, and contains two corked glass liquor bottles and four shot glasses. It's amaaaazing!

The infusions that I've been threatening to do for a while are on their way - pear and vanilla vodka, cinnamon vodka, raspberry vodka, cherry brandy and brandied cherries. The hardest bit is the waiting *pouts*

Since Christmas a very large portion of my time, energy and money has been poured into SCA things. It really is getting to the point that I know I can't do everything within the society that I want to right now. I just don't have the time or the patience to learn all the things I want to be good at. Outsourcing in exchange for goods, money and services is a good strategy at the moment, as it means I can concentrate on getting my garb and other projects together. It sort of means that I'm leveling up in sewing and equestrian gaming, but not much else.

Since last week's Axeman training day I've acquired a bow for archery - Chaos. It's going to be a pain learning to shoot for a while (especially with the associated bruises), but it is something that I've always wanted to get good at. I can do it with my wrist! It's great!

*wibbles* It may be three months until Festival, but the not knowing how long I'm going to be home and able to work on things means that it really is only two weeks away.

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In 24 hours, including at least 9 of sleep, I've managed to create a woolen kirtle. This includes drafting a pattern from scratch *flails* I can do stuff! And that stuff fits!With my...interesting...body type, the commercial pattern I was using for my Tudor outfits was just horrible. The first batch of gowns I made were rather forgiving size-wise, but I wanted to have a crack at a front lacing gown that fits me perfectly, was made of wool for the crazy Festival weather, and I can get in and out of easily.

Until Mother Dearest brings over a copy of the Tudor Tailor from England (in February, guh), I'm somewhat stuck with online resources.I mostly followed the Kirtle Making Guide, with the original pattern coming from a combination of the Custom Corset Generator and Making an Elizabethan Bodice Pattern.It's lightly boned with uber cable ties so that I don't have to deal with a corset underneath

It worked, it fits, the end result does what I need it to do. I know I know, it's purple, but the fabric was cheap and there wasn't much in the way of colour selection.I still need to pattern up and make some detachable sleeves, and also hem it in a few weeks to allow for fabric stretch, but it's pretty much wearable.

Anyway, my next project is one that was inspired by de_chel's want of a kimono. A google search popped up with this wonderful guide on making them. Coincidently it was written by an SCA member over in Texas. I do love the Society for things like this.While I will be making up a cotton kimono, even if it is just for bumming about the house or campsite in, my googling brought up a Gothic Lolita Kimono, which is almost Victorian in styling *flails* My thoughts then strayed to a couple of pieces of red and black satin that I have lying around that don't have a project assigned to them yet. There isn't enough fabric there for the full skirt, but the pattern that I've drafted up should be sufficiently made of Win. The current plan is for a rather short red slinky kimono, to be worn underneath a black corset.The hardest bit is waiting for the fabric to be washed and dried.*pouts* I wanna make my slinky kimono noooowwwww!

[edit] I forgot to mention that the fact that the kirtle making went so smoothly and so well kind of creates a milestone in terms of my skills as a seamstress.My first dress I made was 6 years ago (OMG, already?!). It was horrid.The next 4 years of dress making were better, but still really bad. It really was a case of ambitious, but rubbish.The last couple of years, especially to begin with, I've had a lot of help from Mum. I hate to admit it, but I really needed the assistance because my skill set was negligible. I continued the ambitious trend, but I'm now really starting to pull it off on my own.So yes, I am definitely excited that I can make awesome stuff that fits me really quite well.Level up!

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Got home from camping with some of the MonUCS crew over the New Years. Lots of mooching around on the beach, reading, wallowing in hot springs, drinking, talking shit, and occasionally singing (I knew stuff and wasn't horrible, thanks Daffy!).You don't realise how tense you are until you relax - I can move the muscles in my back. Amaaaaazing! However, when tension is all that's holding you together, when it disappears it gets interesting.As far as adventures go, we went to an amazing winery converted from an old racing stable, to the Dromana drive in to see Narnia, and the strawberry farm in Red Hill. All the berries! Nom!I didn't want to come home :(

I nearly came back for NYE in the city, but I'm glad I didn't. Belting out Laudate on the beach at midnight was exactly where I needed to be.

Here's to 2011.I'm going to steal someone else's resolution to not be eaten by work this year.

I should probably write to you more, Live Journal. I'm sorry. I just don't love you enough these days. I do lurk to find to what all you shiny people are up to these days though, so don't get me wrong.I still maintain that it is important to get thoughts and feelings down in order to process them more effectively, it's just a matter of sitting down and *doing* it. My apologies, for I am not much of a writer these days.

So today marks 24 years of my under the Sun. I spent the last few moments of being 23 discussing the ethical implications of buying stockmarket shares in the companies that I have been contracted out to work for and signing up for a trial of the Australian Mining Journal.When was it that I grew up?This is starting to get rediculous.I think I need to ice ninjabread cookies in order to counteract all of this.

Today was good in that I had a lengthy conversation with my work team leader about my performance thus far, and where I am going in the company. This seems to have been a good antedote to my feeling like I need to find a new place of employment, because company morale is not fabulous. Hell, if I felt like I needed to make the move back to Melbourne just to keep sane, things are Not Going Well.However, confidence has been boosted, and I'm rather excited about the process of leveling up my skills as a Geologist. There are still skills that need to be worked on, and having goals to aim for is always helpful, and I'm aiming for a role as a Project Geologist in the next 12 months. I'm ashamed to say that it is rediculously easy to get complacent when one works unsupervised and gets no feedback about the quality of the work done.

The geology skills, well, they're down pat.It's more the working with people thing that is the tricky bit.I'm a young female, fresh out of University. I am honest with myself and others about the things that I do not know, and will readily make use of other peoples' expertise in things that I'm not so confident. For instance, electronics? Pah! I haven't done physics past year 10 at high school *hides*I've found it really quite difficult being responsible for a project and seeing that it gets done right, when I'm dealing with males 10 to 15 years older than myself that don't respect me or my opinions.There has been no small amount of bullying in the workplace going on in the past, which lead to rediculously unsafe practises and a shoddy job that reflected negatively on my personal performance. I do not wish to be in that situation again. The person is question no longer works for the company for other reasons, but I get the feeling this may happen again in the future.Definitely need to learn how to be more socially aware of situations. I wouldn't go so far as to say that I would like to be more manipulative in Getting Stuff Done, but certainly more in control of the situation in a tactful way. There doesn't seem to be an Understanding People for Dummies published yet, and I am as tactful as a Stilson wrench. Sadness.Also, ew workplace politics.

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· I need to completely redo the armhole and sleeves. The epaulettes are totally the wrong shape and are too far back. Damn you Simplicity pattern! I thought the shoulder seam was suppose to go on the shoulder. Grrr, faulty assumptions. My bad.· The trimming is already starting to be problematic. I should have put the stitches closer together.· The hook and eye closure idea was fine in theory, but is a bitch to put on. It gets snagged on my hand sewing, and is just plain retarded.· I have to deliberately wear an ill fitting bra or else my bust size makes closing the damn thing impossible. Waaah! And yet the waist is still loose on me...make up your mind! I'm not overly well endowed for my clothing size, so this is a unique situation for me to be in.

I think it's time to get a proper body block going. Every time that I use this pattern I have to alter it, and that's just getting annoying. It was fine when Mum could alter it while I was wearing it, but it's a tad harder doing in all myself.

My latest lineup of garb is designed specifically with Festival in mind. This predominantly means clothes that I can run around during the day and look fabulous, and that I can get myself out of without assistance even when totally pished. This is a real problem.Currently all my late period clothing requires someone to lace and unlace me. While this is a wonderful way of meeting new people, it's frustrating and I wish to avoid it where possible this year. I can do it all myself, but it's complicated further by being in a two man dome tent.Earlier this year you may recall that I passed out in my cotton Elizabethan gown and corset at College War, simply because I was, erm, rather tiddly and utterly incapable of unlacing myself. This is not something that I wish to repeat.So, it's going to be front and side lacings, possibly a corset that does similar, but more than likely self supporting garments to reduce the amount of lacing.I've managed to get my hands on a whole lot of pretty wool, so this should get me on my way to getting some rain friendly gear together. This past weekend has highlighted the utmost importance of that.

Anyway, all that aside, the doublet made for a totally bitchin' Halloween costume this year ^^,